To say that the last five months have been a challenge for all of us would be an understatement. Though these are unprecedented times for our community, state, and country, I want you to know the health and safety of our residents is and always will be my top priority. The City of Roswell is working to do its part in helping to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Beginning in mid-March, I formed a COVID-19 internal task force. Those serving on the task force include Fire Chief Ricky Burnett, Police Chief Jim Conroy, City Administrator Gary Palmer, Fire Battalion Chief Pabel Troche, City Attorney David Davidson, Community Relations Manager Julie Brechbill, and Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Leatherman.
I meet with this group regularly to review the latest data from the Georgia Department of Health and the Atlanta/Fulton County Health Department, along with Gov. Brian Kemp’s Executive Orders, to guide decisions about what to include in my Executive Orders.
Unfortunately, Georgia is a hotspot for the virus, and Fulton is one of the counties with the highest number of confirmed cases. According to the data provided, the numbers of those infected continue to rise, including here in Roswell.
We have had to make some tough decisions over the last several months. At the beginning of the pandemic, we closed City Hall and our buildings to the public for almost two months, but that didn’t mean the City shut down. Our employees were still working hard, providing services to our residents. They didn’t miss a beat. We opened our facilities back up to the public in mid-June with safety measures in place.
We’ve held our mayor and council meetings, work sessions, and committee meetings virtually through Zoom. I would rather meet in person, but to keep residents, my fellow elected officials, and City staff safe, we will continue to meet virtually until the COVID-19 case numbers come down. For the convenience of our citizens, we livestream these meetings to the public on the City’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and RoswellGov.com. For those who want to address the mayor and council directly, we also take public comment.
Much to our disappointment and the community’s, we’ve had to cancel many special events such as Alive in Roswell, Riverside Sounds, the Summer Puppet Series, and Music on the Hill, to name a few. These events attract hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people, making social distancing impossible.
I strongly encourage everyone to social distance and wear a face covering when you leave your home. Until there is a vaccine for this virus, we all are going to have to learn to live safely with COVID-19 in our community. I am doing everything I legally can to slow the spread in Roswell. Working together, I know we can lower the numbers here.
to your business!